One Bite
by takemetoeden
Summary: There's more to the relationship between Persephone and Hades than meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

One summer's day, Persephone was drifting to sleep in the arms of a tree with berry juice on her lips and dappled sunlight on her sun-kissed skin. She inhaled the sweet wind that stirred her honey-brown hair gently and exhaled contently. Suddenly, she heard a twig break not far from her. She opened her emerald eyes with a gasp and looked around. However, there was no one there.

"Hello?" She called timidly. She saw a head peek around the trunk of a nearby tree, and quickly retract into hiding. She giggled quietly. "You don't have to be afraid of me. Won't you come out where I can see you?"

It was a moment before she barely saw the same eyes hesitantly look around the tree.

"I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You just startled me is all. What are you doing there?"

"I was... Watching you, miss." A look of surprise and uncertainty crossed Persephone's face, when suddenly the full face came into view. "Not in a threatening way! I'm sorry... You were just... So peaceful and beautiful."

She smiled again and relaxed.

"That's kind of you."

"I'm terribly sorry for bothering you." The face disappeared. "I shouldn't be here."

"No, wait! Please don't go." Persephone hopped down from the tree and landed in the grass softly on bare feet. "I'd... I'd like it if you would talk with me more."

A silence.

"You would?" Came the voice again.

"Well, I would like it more if I could see you." She approached the tree slowly and smiled softly as whoever it was snuck a quick glance at her in surprise. "Come now, it's not fair that you got to see me for who knows how long and I don't even get to see your face clearly."

She stopped where she was and waited, hoping. She watched as the mysterious person stepped around the tree tentatively. Her face took on a more fearful expression.

It was a _man_. He was clad in all black, an intricate, regal ensemble that glittered darkly and threw the sunlight like nothing Persephone had ever seen. His complexion was clear and pale, even paler than she. His hair was jaw-length and pure white, but youth twinkled in his grey eyes. His stature was thin but strong, small but sure. His facial bone structure was soft with youth. When she finally found his downcast, bashful eyes, she realized how uncomfortable her scrutiny was making him.

"I... I don't mean to stare. I've never met a... _Man._" He looked up at her.

"How can that be?"

"My mother doesn't let me get out much." She answered before she could think better of it.

"That is incredibly unfair!"

"Oh, it's alright! I like nature." She approached him slowly, with a hand outstretched. "Do you mind...?"

He shook his head and tried to bite away a smile. She smiled briefly before wonder overtook her eyes. She gently ran the pads of her fingers over the texture of his attire at his chest, and then let them drift up to his skin. He did not lean away from it, but rather watched her wide eyes, echoing the rapt fascination in them. His lips parted slightly as her middle finger ran over it gently. She looked up into his intense eyes.

"Who _are_ you?"

"I-"

"Persephone?"

The girl in question gasped and looked over her shoulder toward the sound of her mother's voice. When she looked back around, the man was gone.

"Persephone, there you are!" She swallowed and faced her mother. A look of concern crossed her mother's face. "Darling? What's wrong?" She approached her daughter and took her shoulders.

"Nothing, I just... I fell out of this tree in my sleep."

"Oh, dear! You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine."

Demeter observed her daughter uncertainly for a moment more, but seemed to believe her.

"Well, that's good. Maybe napping in trees isn't the best idea..." Persephone forced a short laugh. "Anyway, I wanted to show you something new I've made! Come with me!" The girl followed, her hand firmly grasped in her mother's, amused as always with her mother's enthusiasm for creation, before she glanced anxiously behind her at where the dark man had been. She caught a glimpse of a head behind the trunk of the tree briefly.

And then it was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

It was three days before the man returned. Persephone had gone for a swim in a deep creek and was wringing her dress dry on a rock on the bank when she heard him.

"Persephone." She turned to the voice. "It's a lovely name."

"I worried you wouldn't come back."

The man clasped his hands behind his back and stepped from the grass to the sand. Persephone noticed there were dark circles beneath his eyes.

"I don't have much time to come up here."

"Up where?" He swallowed as if he were swallowing a secret. He then cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Did you... Fall in the water?" She laughed.

"No, I went swimming." Confusion crumpled the man's brow.

"Swimming?"

"You've never been swimming?" She exclaimed in complete astonishment. He shook his head, still obviously confused. "Well, you shall today!"

She stepped toward him resolutely with a smile and long, dripping hair.

"You might want to shed the heavier components of your... Attire."

He looked down at himself and then back up at her questioningly. She nodded in assurance and he slowly began to undress, uncomprehending. She flushed and stepped back, facing away for modesty. She watched the water as she listened to the sound of fabric on fabric, fabric on skin, and an odd kind of jingling. And then there was silence.

"Are you decent?"

A hand on her shoulder. She turned and gasped quietly when she saw him. He wore some kind of pants, tight from his waist to below his knees with buttons at the hip and knees. His skin reflected the sun like the moon and she almost had to squint to look at his hair.

"Is this appropriate?" She smiled and nodded.

"And now... We swim!"

She turned and ran off the rock, diving elegantly into the moving water. She heard the man yell her name in alarm before she was submerged. She smiled to herself beneath the surface and waited for him to join.

She accidentally released almost all her air with a laugh when he finally leaped in to rescue her. His entrance was clumsy and he kept his eyes tight shut. He immediately resurfaced, as if he would find her there. She let the rest of her air free with a giggle as she swam to the surface.

"Persephone!" She laughed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Persephone, are you alright?"

"Am _I_ alright? Are _you_ alright? You should see your face!" She laughed breathlessly and the man sighed. He seemed to forgive her, though, because he could swim just fine and he splashed her playfully. She splashed back and was delighted to hear his returning laughter. It was warm and relieved and honest, and she wished it would surround her rather than the water.

"So this is swimming?"

"Yes it is."

"Why do you do it?"

"Because it feels nice. Especially when the sun is particularly warm and the water is cool." She floated on her back and kicked circles around him.

"Do you _swim_ often?"

"Not too often. I can't believe you've never been swimming before!" She straightened to look at him. "Where are you from?" His smile dimmed. "_Who_ are you?" She asked quietly.

She suddenly realized she was swimming with a _man_ she knew absolutely nothing about, and panic spiked hot in her chest. She propelled herself backwards until the bank rose to meet her and she sat.

"Wait..." He followed her with concern, awkwardly treading water and desperately trying to keep water out of his eyes. He swam to where he could stand and faced Persephone.

"Do you keep the truth from me because you are ashamed or because you believe you will frighten me?"

"Both, I suppose."

"Will you at least tell me your name?" He pushed his hair back and rubbed his eyes. "I assure you I will not know it already. I only know the name of my mother, my father and his brother."

"And who are those?"

"My mother is Demeter, my father is Zeus, and my uncle is Poseidon." His expression quickly became one of shock and dread. "What is it? Do you know any of them?"

He closed his mouth and clenched his jaw. He addressed his reply to the water.

"Is Poseidon your father's only brother?"

"Yes." The man looked up at her with pain. "I... I believe so...?" She pulled her hair in front of her shoulder to wring the water out.

"Did your _mother_ tell you that?"

"Well... Yes, actually. My mother has told me everything I know."

"She lied."

Persephone's hands stilled.

"My name is Hades. I am the eldest of the sons of Cronus and Rhea, brother to Zeus and Poseidon. I am the king of the Underworld."

Her eyes opened impossibly wide and her lips parted. She looked up at him and saw him for the first time as the king he was. When she finally found her voice again, she cleared her throat and blinked rapidly before speaking.

"Why wouldn't my mother tell me about you?"

"I suppose she thought she was protecting you." He slowly sat beside her. She watched him.

"Are you someone I would need protection from?"

"No! No, I... I watch over the dead. I care for them after death."

"You don't... _Kill_ them, do you?"

"No, I am not death. I am merely the only son of Cronus who believes death is as important as life. Your father believed it was an act of rebellion that I should retreat to the Underworld, as it was not part of our upbringing to care about mortals once they die. Your father cares for the living, and does not care for them once they pass on to my realm. It was chaos before I came, and I established order. I have done nothing wrong."

Persephone listened intently and slowly relaxed. Her brow, however, did not.

"Then why...? I don't understand. My mother loves me."

"I'm sure she does. However, when you've conceived a child with my brother, you tend to take on his ideals. That is, if you value your life and the life of your offspring."

"Is my father truly that horrible?"

"Have you never met him?"

"No. Well, once. But I don't remember it."

"Mm. Well, I wouldn't call him horrible. Stubborn, perhaps. But he protects his own. I respect that."

A silence. Persephone looked up at Hades.

"I'm sorry on behalf of my parents." He smiled and reached out to touch her cheek.

"You are not your parents." She returned his smile and watched his eyes change from wonder to embarrassment. He had left his hand against her cheek a bit too long. "I should go." He stood and made to fetch his clothes. Persephone stood as well.

"You don't have to." He stopped and looked back at her. "You could... You could stay. If you like." He smiled sadly.

"But what if your father were to find out I have seen you?"

"Would he be very angry?"

"Probably. At us both." She sighed.

"Is there anywhere he cannot see?"

Hades looked down at his feet before answering.

"There is..."

"Is there really? We can go there! Where is it?" He looked back up at her hesitantly.

"The Underworld." Her enthusiasm died.

"Can I go there without dying?"

"Yes, you are not mortal."

"But... Can I go there?" Hades narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you asking?" She swallowed and looked down at her hands, toying with the ends of her hair. She sighed through her nose and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. She addressed her answer straight to him.

"Yes." He smiled.

"Yes of course. No harm will come to you, I promise. Not in my company." He stepped up to her and stroked her jaw with the back of his hand briefly. She smiled nervously. "Let me just reclothe myself." He stepped away again and began to do just that.

Persephone looked up into the sky anxiously, wondering if her father was looking.


	3. Chapter 3

Hades led Persephone through the hollow of a tree and down a spiral staircase into the darkness. He held a torch in one hand and her small hand in his other. The ground met Persephone's feet before she could see it and she gave a small shriek.

"I've got you." Assured Hades. And he did.

Just then a dog made itself known, barking and wagging its tail at the base of the steps.

"Hey, boy!" Hades knelt and petted its heads. All three of them. Persephone backed up in alarm and fell onto the bottom step with a gasp. "Oh, don't worry! He won't hurt you; not with me here. This is Cerberus. Cerberus, meet Persephone."

The dog was panting happily, its coat dark and its eyes beady. She reached out her hand slowly and was relieved to find Cerberus licked her fingers. She smiled and petted the rightmost head. The middle head got impatient for her attention and pushed the right one out of the way. She giggled and Hades smiled.

Then he stood and she followed. They said goodbye to Cerberus and began to walk again.

They walked until they came upon a boat. The ground beneath her feet felt like gravel, but it didn't hurt. Her feet were far too tough to be so easily harmed.

The boat seemed to float; the torchlight did not catch on the ground, and it did not catch on the river beyond the boat until the water stirred. It was the strangest sensation.

They both sat in the boat, and it seemed to propel itself forward. Persephone looked over her shoulder in an attempt to catch sight of the staircase or where they had come in, but she could not see anything.

When she turned back forward, she saw fire in the distance. The closer they got, the more she could make out the shape of a city against the fire. The boat didn't stop until the city wall was nearly upon them. When it finally did halt, Hades stood and offered a helping hand to Persephone.

He led her through the gates to another set of gates that opened readily for him. The city itself was much cleaner than she originally assumed. There was nothing above them that she could see, and everyone she could see seemed to be happy. She was introduced to a few interesting people and ultimately led into something like a palace.

The marble floors were cool despite the heat in the air. There were no bodies of water around, which would explain how he had never been swimming before. There was no part of nature around, in fact.

She followed Hades through halls and up stairs to what she guessed was his sitting room. There was a fireplace and several luxurious places to sit. He offered her a seat and sat across from her.

"Are you alright?" She nodded. "You are being unusually quiet."

"Do you know my usual behaviors after only two meetings?" He smiled.

"I guess not." She looked around the room.

"Why did you come to the surface?"

"To see you."

"But the first time, before you knew I was there." Hades shed his outer garment and busied himself while he answered.

"I just... Missed the sunlight." Persephone's heart broke to hear those words.

"I can't imagine what it must be like to live in such darkness." He smiled without mirth.

"One grows accustomed to the dark, but... It does get predictable."

Persephone made an assenting noise and then spoke suddenly on an impulse.

"Would you sit with me?" She patted the space next to her on the couch. He curiously complied and Persephone pulled her feet up and scooted closer to him. "I apologize, I just... Like being close to you."

"You have no reason to apologize." He smiled. She smiled back up at him with wonder. She reached up to feel his hair without thinking, running her fingers through it and feeling his scalp with her nails. He closed his eyes under her attentions. She pulled herself to her knees and looked down at him.

She could see veins under his pale skin; one on his forehead, some on his temples, his jaw and throat, some in his ear, and a whole bundle of them on each eyelid. If she looked hard enough, she could see them pulsing with life. She was spellbound until his pale eyelashes fluttered and he looked up at her. She started slightly, but did not lean away or apologize this time. She watched his pupils dilate and the grey around them stretch to accommodate. She watched them flick down to her mouth and no sooner had she read his intentions than her lips were suddenly upon his.

His lips were much colder than she had anticipated, but they were soft and gentle and she found the will to swing one knee to the other side of his lap. She was taken by surprise at her sudden courage, but did not let herself question it. She felt arms around her and hands on her back, and her hand that wasn't in his still-damp hair fell onto his collarbone. She could feel his pulse under his skin there. He held her tightly, squeezing that hand between them, and she replaced it in his hair, soft as down.

When the kiss finally ended, Persephone had the pleasure of once again watching Hades's pupils dilate up at her. She relaxed back on her haunches and he lifted his head from the couch to maintain eye contact.

"You said my father can't see down here?" He nodded, his hands come to rest on her hips. She pulled her lip between her teeth and searched his torso for a way to loosen and ultimately rid him of his shirt. The pattern glinted much more darkly in firelight as opposed to sunlight.

When he realized what her intentions were, he assisted her and lifted his chest forward for her to pull it away completely and abandon it on the arm rest of the couch. She tilted her head with a smile as she finally indulged in touching his skin. It was as cool as his lips, and as soft. His chest was as hairless as his jaw and the short, soft hairs that grew were as white as the hairs on his head. She touched her palms just to his natural not-quite-hair with wonder.

She suddenly flicked her eyes up to his and saw he was watching her intently as he had been quite a lot around her. She smiled. He lifted both hands and pushed her hair back. Her hands stilled on either side of his middle as he slid one strap of her dress from her shoulder. He ran his fingertips whisper-light over her collarbone and up her neck to her ear. She shivered and giggled at her reaction. He smiled with her and pulled a handful of hair forward, running it through his hand until the tips reached his lips. He inhaled deeply and smiled.

The continued in this way, gently and innocently exploring each others' bodies until they fell asleep in each others' arms on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

Persephone woke before Hades and smiled up at his relaxed expression. She sat up and walked to the nearest window. Behind the curtain was an open rectangle that looked down at the city. She hadn't realized how high up they had climbed. She strung the curtain out of the way and sat in the wide window frame.

She sat there, admiring the peaceful city below and how the torches looked like stars in the night sky. She was just wondering at how odd it was that there was no breeze when she noticed Hades approaching her and looking out the window with her. She smiled and looked back out.

"It's beautiful." Hades rested his arm on her opposite shoulder and kissed the crown of her head.

"It's my pride and joy. The culmination of my life's efforts."

"I just don't understand why my father would disapprove."

"Perhaps he is afraid of that which he cannot understand. My brother, like I, will never die. How can he understand death? However, he seems to believe I value death higher than life which is not true."

Persephone looked up at him.

"I understand." He smiled and slowly leaned down to kiss her.

After a moment, Hades scooped her up and carried her, bridal-style and giggling, through a door to his room. He set her down to close the door behind them, and she walked into the room in awe.

It was ridiculously upholstered, to put it mildly. This fireplace was gold and the linens and curtains echoed the gold amidst dark maroon and navy. Hades approached the hearth and started a fire with the palm of his hand. Persephone gasped, both at his ability and the way the gold reflected the fire around the room.

He then sat on his bed expectantly. She sat with him, suddenly attentive to his face.

"What do you do here... Usually?"

"Royal business. I solve conflicts and improve upon my design as per the requests of my residents."

"Just like a proper king." He smiled and stood.

"Does this make me seem more kingly?" He knelt and fetched something from the bottom shelf of his bedside. He lifted it with a smile.

It was a crown. Persephone gasped and scooted toward its alluring beauty. It was black and it glittered just like his robes, as if it were crafted of black diamonds. Its shape resembled that of branches, and she was mesmerized by it.

"May I put it on you?" He chuckled.

"Certainly."

She pulled her knees up closer and accepted the crown from his offering hands. It was much heavier than she expected. Once she placed it upon his white head, he truly looked the part.

"Wow." She whispered. She watched as he stood to his full heigh and offered her his hand. She took it timidly and stood before him. If ever she had seen anything to be described as noble, this was it.

"I am king of this realm. I can fulfill your every whim." His eyes burned down at her. "What is it you desire?"

She swallowed.

"Um... Well, right now I would really like some food." She smiled unsurely under his protective stare, waiting for him to return her smile. However, he did not. A frown came to his brow instead.

"Persephone... If you eat anything in the Underworld, you may never leave." She sobered.

"Why?"

"It is the law of the land. Once you eat from it, you belong to it. This was the pact made between my brother and I."

"To prevent the dead returning to the land of the living?"

"Yes."

"I see." She dropped her gaze to his navel.

"I do not believe it would be fair of me to make you choose." She nodded and watched her hands slide from his hips to his smooth chest. He lifted her chin with his index finger. "But if you have any _other_ desires..."

She watched his eyes drop to her lips, watched him lean in closer, and closed her eyes briefly when his breath skirted through her lips.

"I should..." He paused. "Really get something to eat." She opened her eyes to meet his. "First." He pulled all the way back, and her heart almost broke to be so far away from him.

"Of course." He lifted his crown off and set it back on its stand. He smiled at her. "We took the scenic entrance. Would you like to take the quicker exit?"

She smiled and nodded.

Moments later, they stood in a glen Persephone did not recognize. She looked around in wonder and laughed.

"How did you do that?"

Hades smiled mysteriously, but didn't answer. He led her to a tree nearby that was bearing apples. He plucked one and offered it to her.

She bit into it and giggled when the juice dripped down her chin. Birds sang overhead and there were bushes upon bushes of sweet berries. They ate what they picked and ended up on their backs, full bellies and staring up at the sky through the foliage.

"Where are we?" He turned on his side and propped his head up on his elbow.

"Far away from your forest."

"How far away?"

"Millions of miles." He leaned down to kiss her as he spoke. When their lips touched, they were both smiling. "Billions." He kissed her again. She was beaming.

"What do you want to do?" He shrugged.

"Anything." She stretched and and groaned with the feeling. "As long as it's with you." She sat up and grabbed a strawberry from the pile beside her.

"Aren't you worried my father will see us?" She bit into the berry in her hand.

"I'm not worried about anything." A stream of strawberry juice spilled from the corner of her mouth. She lifted her hand to wipe it away, but Hades caught her wrist. She looked at him curiously. He leaned in and slowly lapped up the stream, ending in a kiss.

She leaned back under the slightest pressure he was applying until her back was on the grass. He kissed her slowly and intensely; sometimes gently, sometimes not. When he finally ended the kiss, he looked down at her almost adoringly.

"We should bring some of Nature into the Underworld." His brow crumpled in confusion.

"What?"

"There's no wind. There's no dirt or grass or trees. Can we bring some down there?"

"I... Suppose."

"It would work if we chopped them down, right? Because then they would be dead, and the Underworld is the realm of the dead."

"Yes, it would work."

"What about a pond?" She exclaimed in sudden excitement. He chuckled.

"Whatever you want." He kissed her once more and then he set to work to fulfill her will.

Persephone watched with enthusiasm as Hades uprooted trees from the world of the living, brought them down to the world of the dead, and forced them into the ground. They would thrive in an environment such as the Underworld because there is no way they could find life again in any soil. He didn't even break a sweat.

The dead were very pleased to have the plants around. The children scurried up the trees and some of the ponds put in place evolved into something like geysers with the heat coming from beneath. Afterwards, Persephone and Hades walked through the Underworld, arm in arm, appreciating his handiwork.

Persephone smiled at all the laughter and joy around, while Hades just observed in astonishment. They sat in a small garden, reclining on the new grass as they watched children run and jump into a nearby pond.

"I had no idea..." She hummed in assent.

"Nature is part of all of us, even after death. Now if only we could bring some sunlight..." She looked upward into the indiscernible blackness hopelessly.

"That... Might be more difficult."

"How does this all work anyway?"

"Well... Physically, we can come to the Underworld directly from the realm of the living, but they are mutually exclusive _realms_. If I were to puncture a hole above us, the physical world would not shine through because it is not really there. Even the word _Under_world is metaphorical. We are not _under_ anything. More like somewhere else. Perhaps _After_world would be more appropriate."

"Oh... Could you not create a ball of fire akin to the sun?"

"Not far enough away that it would not harm my residents and still be bright enough. I've been resolved to the eternal darkness for a while now."

"I can see why you would grow to miss it."

"It's much more hospitable here now, thanks to you." She smiled up at him.

"Any more brilliant ideas?"

"I have one." She leaned up and kissed him with a smile.

"Mmm, good idea." He pulled her down onto him, reconnecting their lips. They forgot themselves for a moment, but a quiet little gasp brought them back.

"Don't stare, Jonathan! Come on!"

"B-but..."

Persephone pulled back and saw two little dripping boys looking on. One was staring openly, and the other was tugging at his elbow urgently. Hades propped himself up on his elbows and chuckled.

"Sorry, your majesty. We were just leaving." The boy who wasn't staring so openly finally managed to shake the other out of his reverie, and he dragged him away.

"She was so pretty! Are they in love?"

"I don't know, Jonathan. Shush!" Whispered the other.

Persephone would have laughed at the scene, but the boy's question struck a nerve in her. She sat up and crossed her legs. Hades sat up with her and sighed.

"Don't mind them. Young minds are the most inquisitive."

"No, I don't mind. I just... Realized, I've been taking a lot of risks for someone I've just met. I'm not sure if I'm being foolish."

He hummed, swept her hair off one shoulder, and kissed it.

"If you want to return to your world, I will not detain you. Any time you want."

"I am happy with you. Happier than I've ever been. But... I guess I have yet to see if you are..." She bit back her words.

"If I am what?" She shook her head and looked down at her lap. "You can tell me. I promise I won't be offended."

She turned her head to look at him unsurely and apologetically.

"If you are worth the risk, I guess." He nodded.

"Is there anything I can do to prove myself?" She shrugged and pressed her lips together.

"I don't know."

"Well, if you think of anything, let me know."

She nodded, and he kissed her. Then they stood and walked hand-in-hand back to his palace.


	5. Chapter 5

Persephone would have been worrying about her mother worrying, but she was still upset that Hades had been kept from her. As if anyone would have any reason to fear Hades!

She stayed with him a week more, suggesting renovations and sleeping in his arms, when she finally decided she had to confront her mother.

"She must be terribly worried about you." Suggested hades as they sat before his gold fireplace.

"Yes, I know. I haven't even been back to our forest once. I should... Make peace with her."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No. This is something I need to do alone. I have some questions for her."

"Yes, I'm sure you do."

"But..." She looked up at him. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed close by. In case I need you. She smiled timidly, and he returned it with a kiss on the forehead.

"Of course."

When Persephone reached the realm of the living, she hardly recognized her forest.

"Oh, dear. Call for me if you need me, and I'll be there." She nodded anxiously and then he was gone.

She turned back to the forest. The branches were bare, and there were no living plants. Some kind of white substance covered the ground, and strangest of all, it was _cold_. With the sun out! Persephone stepped through whatever it was, and found it melted beneath her feet. Into _water_, oddly enough. It also sunk under a certain amount of pressure, and the consistency was very odd. It was almost like sand, but it was too singular and firm.

She walked for a few minutes before she reached a tree she recognized. Just as she did, her mother appeared.

"Persephone?" She froze as her mother ran to her and threw her arms around her. "Oh, I was so worried about you! Where have you been?" She pulled away and held her daughter's shoulders.

"I've been safe. And happy. I'm sorry for leaving you without saying anything. You never would have let me go."

"Go where?"

"Somewhere _safe_, mother. Don't worry about it."

"I haven't done anything _but_ worry! Why won't you tell me where you were if you were so safe?"

"Because I have something to ask you before that."

"Of course, darling. What is it?"

She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Why have you never told me of my father's older brother?"

Her mother's hands fell from her shoulders.

"You've been in the Underworld." She raised her eyes to Demeter's. "That's why Zeus couldn't find you."

Persephone nodded.

"Stupid girl!" She flinched from the outburst. "Do you know what could have happened to you, had you _eaten_ anything?"

"Yes! Hades told me. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."

"_Hades?_ As if _Hades_ would care about any _living_ soul. What were you thinking?"

"You're wrong about him, mother. You and my father both."

"Persephone, I think Hades's _siblings_ would know him better than you could in a _week_."

"Yeah? And what does Zeus say about his brother?"

"Don't you sass me, young lady. Hades is dangerous and a threat. He has some kind of fascination with death, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's killed more than a few of his _subjects!_"

"You're both wrong. Hades is the only one who thinks dead people need as much care as living people. And if you think of him as such a threat, why would you not think to tell me of him, if only to caution me?"

Demeter scoffed, but wrestled for words.

"I... Was protecting you."

"Well, you did a horrid job. And I am glad for it. He is no one you need to 'protect' me from. He is kind and honest and dedicated. He cares for me and doesn't make _false assumptions_ about people!"

"Whatever you think of him or me, you are forbidden from seeing him anymore!"

"That's not your decision to make, mother. Not after you have kept me in the dark about so much! _So_ much... You've never even let me meet another person! That was cruel of you. Why would you think that is a good idea? Nature is lovely, but there is _so much more_!"

"That is _enough_, Persephone! You are in no position to judge my parenting methods. You will come with me, and if I hear another disrespectful word out of your mouth, you'll regret it!"

Demeter seized her daughter's upper arm and made to drag her away, but that arm was yanked from her grasp.

"No, mother." She looked back at her daughter incredulously.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry. I can't stay with someone who is so _blindly afraid_ of such wonderful things!"

"Oh yeah? And where will you go?"

Persephone swallowed and looked around.

"Hades?" Demeter sobered.

"No no no, don't you summon that _freak_ to my realm!"

"This isn't your realm, mother."

She saw her mother's eyes shift over her shoulder in shock, and then a hand in hers. She gripped it tightly.

"If you have anything to say, you know where to find me."

She turned to look at Hades, who was clad in full royal garb, including his crown. She nodded.

"No, Persephone, _don't leave me! _How can you choose-"

But they were gone.

Once they stood again in Hades's room, she looked up at him with a weak smile.

"You got all dressed up." He smiled back briefly, but he seemed concerned.

"I wanted to make a good impression."

Persephone laughed half-heartedly and suddenly dissolved into tears. Her knees gave, and Hades barely caught her on her descent. He knelt with her and held her as she cried.

"There's so much about _my own mother_ that I have not known until today."

"I know, love. I know." He stroked her hair and held her tightly.

"I missed her so much and it's like I don't even recognize her anymore."

"I know how you feel." She sniffed and sobbed quietly in his arms. "I miss my brother, but he will not see me. Every attempt I make to reestablish contact with him is cut down out of fear, and it... It breaks my heart." Persephone looked up at him with sympathy, tears streaming down her flushed face. "I am sorry you have to know the same heartbreak."

He smiled with one side of his mouth, and, to her surprise, blood rushed to his face and his eyes misted. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in the side of it.

They cried together until they could cry no more.

When the tears finally stopped, they were both exhausted. They sat in silent as Hades ate his own food, and then they retreated to their fruited glen in the realm of the living. Upon arriving, Persephone's jaw dropped. Her mother's grief (or temper tantrum) had covered the world in cold, and in the white substance. She could barely scavenge enough dying fruit to fill her stomach.

"My mother is ridiculous."

"Mother Nature can be impulsive and harsh."

"I've never seen her like this." She looked around sadly and then took Hades's hand. "Let's go home."

She didn't realize what she had said until they were gone.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were torture. Persephone had nothing to eat, and her strength waned. Hades looked on in concern as she sickened. Eventually, the time came when he could no longer just watched. He kissed her forehead as she slept uneasily in his bed, and then sought out Demeter.

He found her leaning against a tree, contemplative and silent.

"Demeter."

She jumped at his voice and immediately stood.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to cease this pointless winter."

"Perhaps in return for my daughter."

"She is dying, Demeter. You are starving her."

She processed this, but crossed her arms indignantly.

"She chose her own fate."

"She is your _daughter_, woman!" He stepped toward her, and she backed into the tree. "I never wanted an enemy in you. But I _cannot allow you_ to harm this woman, mother or not."

Even cornered as she was, Demeter still spoke back.

"If she came back to me and admitted her obstinacy, she could eat as much as she wants."

"You would blackmail your own daughter with _hunger?_" He leaned a hand on the tree behind her, and slowly sucked the life from it into his palm. "It's a wonder she survived sixteen years under your care."

The woman pressed her back against the tree, obviously afraid, but still spat words back at him.

"I will not allow you to lecture me on parenting methods."

"No, nor would you allow Persephone to do so. She is more qualified to speak on your parenting, and yet you would not hear her. This woman who has been subjected to _your parenting_ her entire life. You sicken me."

He stepped away and passed a hand over his mouth in exasperation.

"I will not let her die, even if you would. If she has to eat from my realm, I will save her. I would prefer it not come to that; she would miss you. But you present us no other option."

Demeter huffed in anger, her breath white in the air. She growled angrily and lifted her hands. Trees bent to her will, and branches seized Hades's hands, holding them out to either side.

"You _will_ bring my daughter back to me, bastard child!"

"That is for Persephone to decide."

Mother Nature pursed her lips angrily, but her expression soon reverted back to her previous fear as the branches holding Hades immobile began to whither and crack. She shifted her feet uneasily, but did not back down again. Not even when Hades stepped right up to her and whispered into her face.

"You make me ashamed to call you sister."

He disappeared, leaving Demeter with a scowl and a quivering lip.

* * *

When Persephone awoke, the first thing she saw was Hades gazing down at her in worry. She smiled through chapped lips.

"Did you leave?"

He sat beside her in his bed.

"I did. To ask your mother to allow life to return to the Earth."

"What did she say?" She whispered. Hades sighed.

"My sister has always been among the most stubborn of our family."

"Your _sister?_"

"Yes. Did you not know your mother and father are brother and sister?" She shook her head, and Hades frowned. "Typical. Well, I might as well tell you now. Our mother and father, Rhea and Cronus, are Titans, and also brother and sister. He had six of us by Rhea, and they are Hestia, Demeter, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and I. Inbreeding does not effect us Olympians the same as it does mortals, so there is no short supply of it."

Persephone gave a short laugh and closed her eyes. Hades sighed and pushed a stray hair off her forehead.

Time was running out, as were options. Demeter remained stubborn, and Persephone's waning strength began to show in her face. A collection of flowers donated from the concerned dead blossomed at Persephone's bedside, and Hades could not find sleep anymore.

As unexpected as it was, the one to finally halt the madness was none other than Zeus. Hades was dozing at Persephone's bedside with his hand in hers when he heard Zeus arrive. He was no master of subtlety, with his flair for lightning. Hades rushed out of his palace to find his younger brother on his steps, unhappy and ruffled.

"Zeus. What a pleasant surprise." His brother scowled.

"I take no pleasure in visiting your... _Domain_, brother."

"As I well know. What brings you here?"

"You have something that belongs to me."

"Don't know to what you're referring."

"Come now, Hades, she is my daughter."

"She is also Demeter's, only she would have her starve." Zeus shifted his weight and fisted his hands. "Persephone is no more yours than she is mine. She belongs to herself; you can ask her if she will come with you, but I cannot allow you to force her hand to any end."

"I was told she is dying."

"She is, because our foolish, headstrong sister refuses to bring life back to her food supply. You'd sooner have luck killing the dead than swaying her stubbornness."

"Yes, I know." He sighed. "I am here to fetch her and nurse her to health."

"That's kind of you, little brother, but I don't think I'm wrong in assuming you would hide her from me against her will."

"She belongs in the realm of her kind, Hades! You give her back, and we can end this before it claims her life!"

"She is not mine to give."

Zeus was just about to offer an angry retort when a quiet voice sounded behind Hades.

"Why don't you just ask me yourself?"

The elder turned in surprise to find the voice that was undoubtedly Persephone. Sure enough, there she stood, supporting her weight on the threshold at the top of the steps to his palace.

"Persephone, you should be resting."

"Don't tell me what I should be doing. I _am_ mine, just as you said." Hades declined his head slightly. Zeus stepped forward.

"Daughter. You are ill. Come with me, and I will make you well."

Persephone began a slow descent down the steps.

"I am ill because my mother thought to punish me for finally taking control of my life." Hades worried about her faltering step down the stairs, but he thought if he approached her, Zeus would take the opportunity to snatch her away. "Does a mother bird punish her chick for leaving the nest?"

"Your mother has not been thinking clearly. I will deal with her. Just please, come away from this place."

"Do you intend to let me return as I wish?"

Zeus gritted his teeth. Persephone reached halfway down the staircase.

"Whenever you want."

She paused and looked at him.

"You're lying." Zeus growled in frustration.

"Why would you _want_ to come back here? Why did you want to come here in the first place? Didn't my sister raise you better than this? You are both foolish; she for allowing this to happen, and you for seeking it out!"

As he spoke, Persephone walked along the step she was on, approaching the edge, where the branches of an apple tree grew. Hades did not realize her intentions until it was too late. She plucked an apple.

"Persephone, what are you doing?" Hades exclaimed.

"I will not allow others to make my decisions for me any longer." She lifted the fruit to her chapped lips and opened her jaw.

"Persephone, _no!_"

Zeus made to stop her, but she had already bit down. She watched both the Olympian brothers as she chewed her bite and swallowed. Its juice dripped down her chin, and Hades was reminded of their first day in the glen.

Both brothers looked back and watched as the mouthful of fruit slid down her throat. She dropped the apple and, sensing what was about to happen, Hades rushed to her side to catch her as her knees gave out.

"Persephone! Persephone?" He held her and shook her slightly in panic. She was breathing heavily and her wide eyes spun. "This is your fault! Both you and Demeter!" Hades shouted at his brother, who stood with a look of shame and shock.

Hades stroked Persephone's hair, whispering her name and rocking her. He had never had this happen before, and he did not know what would happen. Zeus left with a crack of lightning, but Hades did not look. He knew in theory that Persephone would be alright, but her wheezing and closed eyes twisted his stomach with fear.

Eventually, her wheezing died down and she lay still. Hades watched her face intently, wiping his tears from her cheeks and waiting anxiously before he would allow himself to grieve. He waited a while; long enough for a crowd to gather and a few children to start weeping. He would not let himself break. Instead, he kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear.

"Persephone, please, please come back to me. _I love you_."

No sooner had the words left his trembling lips than she had drawn in a deep breath. When he pulled back to look at her, the color had returned to her face and her eyes fluttered open. He sobbed once with relief. Her eyes found his.

"Hades..."

"Yes. Yes, I'm here." She smiled.

"You are worth it." He smiled back and kissed her. Neither of them realized the crowd had started applauding until they pulled away. She laughed and sat up. A few children ran to her and embraced her. She laughed even more and waved at the others. Hades did not feel tired for the first time in days.


	7. Epilogue

Three days later, after Persephone had regained her strength, she was wed and crowned Queen of the Underworld. The ceremony was beautiful and enormous, as everyone attended. She was given a smaller crown like Hades's, and black sparkling robes. Hades had never seen her smile so much and so brightly.

The day after that, Hades returned to the realm of the living for a brief council with his sister.

She looked awful.

"You again."

"Hello, sister."

"Do not call me that. You are no brother of mine. You stole my only child." She began to weep; in truth, she appeared to have been weeping quite often and quite recently.

"Persephone chose her own fate." Demeter scoffed at her own words on his lips.

"What do you want?"

"I have come to offer you a deal." Demeter said nothing. "Your daughter does in fact belong to the Underworld since she ate of it. But... I can give you half the year with her." Mother Nature looked at him with sudden hope. "That is, if you would still want to see her."

She looked away again, watching the snow fall.

"She misses the Earth when it was green. And she misses you when you loved her."

"I will always love her!" She snapped at him.

"Do you? Well then you will be pleased to know we have been wed, and she is very, very happy." Demeter grimaced and looked away again. "When half year comes, you can discuss this with her yourself."

He left his sister to her conflicted heart.


End file.
